From Crete to California / Ancient cuisine is surprisingly modern

KAROLA SAEKEL, Chronicle Staff Writer

Published 4:00 am, Wednesday, May 10, 1995

You don't have to convince Helen Placourakis of the benefits of the Mediterranean diet. Mediterranean cooking -- in which meats play a supporting role to fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes -- is her birthright.

Although Placourakis grew up in the East Bay, her family's life was steeped in the culture of Crete, the Greek island from which three of her grandparents emigrated. The children all learned Greek; their church was Greek Orthodox; and when Helen married, it was to Mike Placourakis, a fellow East Bay Cretan.

Their three sons, in turn, also speak the language; the only non-Greek speaker is their daughter, Pamela Jacobsen (who teaches Japanese).

The roots of Cretan cuisine reach into antiquity. Although there are no records dating back 5,000 years to the Minoan era, when Crete held sway over much of the Mediterranean, Greeks of two millennia ago wrote frequently about food, describing dishes that sound remarkably modern.

"When we go to Crete," Helen Placourakis says, "we visit cousins of Mike's who live entirely off the land. They harvest their olives and oranges, and raise chickens and lambs. They go into the hills and pick greens."

BACKYARD STAPLES

She can't quite duplicate the simplicity of their lives in her comfortable Alameda home, but mint and lemons -- two essentials in Cretan cooking -- grow in the back yard. So do olives, which Mike Placourakis and his friend George Psihos cure in the Greek manner, both in brine and with a dry cure.

Farmers' markets fill many kitchen needs, and such stores as G. B. Ratto International Grocers and Andronico's round out the requirements of the larder.

The Placourakis family doesn't make wine as their relatives on Crete do, but their guests may be toasted with "Y'assou" ("To your health") over a robust Cabernet Sauvignon from brother-in-law Nick Lolonis' Sonoma County winery.

LITTLE MEAT

Do Greeks live on lamb? No, says Helen Placourakis. Lamb may be the meat of choice for special celebrations, but Cretans consume more legumes, rice, beans and greens than meat of any kind. It is the legacy of a land with limited resources.

Crete and its cuisine have seen many influences over the millennia -- at various times the island has been dominated by the Romans, Arabs, Venetians and Turks -- but the cooking is essentially Greek and essentially economical. Islanders eat more pork and chicken than lamb, and they favor the kinds of fried pastries not seen on the Greek mainland.

No family occasion for the Placourakises would be complete without Aunt Cleo's kalitsounia, crescents of the simplest of doughs -- flour, salt, water, olive oil -- filled with fresh cheese, egg and an assertive amount of mint, then fried in olive oil. Helen's aunt, Cleo Nickolas, is the expert baker of these savories, but Mike Placourakis has recently learned how to make them. The secret, he says, is to roll out the dough paper-thin. That may sound more difficult than it is; the olive oil in the dough makes it more pliable than dough made with butter or shortening.

LOTS OF OIL

Olive oil, Helen Placourakis concedes, is everywhere, and while she fully believes that it is more healthful than other fats, she has learned to cut down on traditional amounts. "Food doesn't have to swim in it to taste right," she says with a laugh.

Similarly, she may use cottage cheese rather than the richer ricotta. "Just add a little Cream of Wheat. It won't change the taste but it keeps the cheese from separating and weeping," she advises, adding that she uses the same trick when she makes spanakopita, spinach and feta in phyllo crust. "I make up a whole batch when I have time," she confides, "and freeze them. When unexpected company drops by," she says, pulling a batch of sesame-covered dough roll-ups out of the freezer, "I just pop them into a hot oven -- 375 or 400 degrees -- and in 10 minutes, they are ready to eat."

MACARONI WITH A DIFFERENCE

Phyllo is a staple in her kitchen. A Cretan version of that old standby, macaroni and cheese (made with cooked pasta, cheese, eggs and milk), is dressed up with a couple or three phyllo sheets placed on top of the dish just before baking.

Food writer Eva Zane claims that such supposedly French foods as mayonnaise, bechamel sauce and even bouillabaisse can be traced to Greece.

Helen Placourakis' favorite way to fix fish certainly resembles French methods. She sautes finely chopped carrots, celery, onions, and spinach or some other greens in olive oil -- the French would call this a mirepoix -- douses the mix with plenty of lemon, and uses this as the bed on which to bake whole fish, simply seasoned with salt and pepper. When the fish is served, some vegetables are spooned over each portion. This is a traditional Cretan way to serve fish, says Helen, "and it's very healthy."

The same holds true of salads, which "we keep simple," she says. "In summer, it's shredded romaine, seasoned with salt and pepper and dressed with olive oil and vinegar. In winter, we substitute cabbage and use lemon juice instead of vinegar."

Desserts are always accompanied by strong coffee boiled in a briki, the traditional conical coffeepot. The proportions are 1 demitasse water, 1 teaspoon sugar (or a pinch of nutmeg) and 1 heaping teaspoon stone-ground Greek coffee. The mixture is allowed to foam up three times before being served in two demitasses. (The process is repeated for more diners.)

Rich pastries are served with late-afternoon coffee rather than after a meal. Dessert, says Helen Placourakis, may simply be oranges.

A little fancier ending, based entirely on Cretan crops, might have finished a meal in Homer's day: Each diner is served a small plate of honey for dipping pieces of cut-up apples, walnuts and thin slices of feta cheese -- "instant baklava," Helen calls it with a laugh.

CRETAN ROAST CHICKEN

The intense heat of the oven produces a succulent bird reminiscent of spit-roasted chicken.

INGREDIENTS:

INSTRUCTIONS: Wash the chicken under cold running water and pat dry; remove any loose bits of fat. Squeeze the lemon over the bird. Season on both sides with salt and pepper and rub in the oregano and Greek seasoning mix. Place in a heavy plastic bag or covered dish and refrigerate several hours or overnight, turning once or twice.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Place the chicken halves skin side up in a heavy roasting pan. Roast for 25 minutes. Test the chicken for doneness. The legs should move easily and juices should run clear when the thickest part of a thigh is pierced with the tip of a paring knife.

Serves 4. Note: Greek seasoning is available at many markets under the Cavender's label. If unavailable, use 1/4 teaspoon each, rosemary and paprika.

INSTRUCTIONS: Combine flour and salt in a bowl. Add oil and water. Knead, adding more water if needed, by teaspoons, until dough is pliable. Pinch off an egg-size piece of dough. Roll out on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin until it is very thin -- about the thickness of a won ton skin. Using a pastry wheel or small, sharp knife, cut out circles of dough 4 1/2 inches in diameter. Stack on a plate and cover with plastic wrap. Mix together ricotta, egg, cream cheese (if used), Cream of Wheat and mint. Season to taste with salt. Place a heaping teaspoon of filling in the center of each dough circle. Fold circle in half and crimp edges together with tines of a fork. Cover pockets with plastic wrap. Add scraps of dough to remaining dough; knead briefly. Repeat process until all dough and filling are used.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is very hot but not smoking, add as many pockets as will fit in pan without crowding. Fry, turning once, until golden brown. Drain pockets on paper towels; keep them warm in a low oven while frying remaining pockets.

INGREDIENTS:

INSTRUCTIONS: Dissolve the tomato paste in 1 cup of the water. Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan. Add the onion and saute until softened but not browned. Break up any large spinach leaves and add spinach to pan. Saute until wilted.

Add the rice and tomato paste/water; mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add another cup of water; stir. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes, checking occasionally and adding more water if the mixture seems dry.

Take off heat, remove the lid, and cover the pan with a damp dish towel. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Taste for salt and pepper.

INGREDIENTS:

INSTRUCTIONS: Place the rice in a mixing bowl; stir in the lemon juice and let stand at least 20 minutes. Bring the broth to a boil in a heavy 2 1/2-quart pan. Stir in the rice. (Rice may clump; break it up as you add it to the boiling liquid.) Partially cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is done and most of the liquid has been absorbed (the rice should have the creamy consistency of risotto). Season with salt, if needed.

Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat; cook until it turns nutty brown, making sure it doesn't burn. Stir into the rice. Pass a bowl of yogurt at the table so diners can add it as desired.

SHOPPING AND DINING GUIDE

No shops or restaurants in the Bay Area feature products or dishes specifically from Crete, but Greek food is readily available.

WHERE TO SHOP

Helen Placourakis, raised in the East Bay in a Cretan household, has a great fondness for one of oldest fancy-food shops, G.B. Ratto International Grocers, 821 Washington Street near 8th Street, Oakland; (510) 832-6503. Here she finds a great selection of lentils and other legumes that are staples of her kitchen. Ratto's also carries all the herbs and spices used in the cuisine -- dried oregano, rosemary and Cavender's Greek Seasoning -- as well as Venizelos stone-ground Greek coffee, both in regular and decaf. (Ratto's also has a mail-order catalog.)

Andronico's, with four markets in Berkeley and one at 1200 Irving Street (at Funston Avenue) in San Francisco, is another favorite. Here, too, Cavender's Seasoning is on the spice shelf, the freezer holds phyllo dough, and the deli features items such as dolmas and Greek salad plus a self-service olive bar.

For lamb and other meats, Placourakis depends mostly on Joe Scalise and Sons, 3211 Encinal Avenue at High Street, Alameda; (510) 522-4848. It's a full- service meat market. Crossroads Produce and International Foods carries greens and many other ingredients for Cretan cooking. It's at 22861 Foothill Boulevard at Mission Boulevard, Hayward; (510) 582-2231.

Country Cheese, is a good and inexpensive source for cheeses -- feta, kasseri and Asiago (though the latter is Italian, it goes well with Greek food). Two stores: 2101 San Pablo Avenue near Addison Street, Berkeley, (510) 841-0752; and 415 Divisadero Street near Oak Street, San Francisco, (415) 621-8130.

For greens and the sturdy wheat breads that are an integral part of every meal on Crete, Placourakis shops at various farmers' markets in the area.

WHERE TO EAT

The Placourakis clan favors Helen's home cooking, but there are a couple of restaurants they like:

Stoyanof's Cafe, 1240 9th Avenue near Irving Street, San Francisco; (415) 664-3664 (open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday). The Macedonian cooking style here is a slight but pleasing variation for Helen and Mike Placourakis. Lunch offers a nice selection of salads, and George and Angel Stoyanof's phyllo, turned into borek, baklava and more, is considered among the best anywhere. The Placourakises say that some of the best dishes from various regions of Greece, including Crete, are found at church events such as the upcoming Greek festival in Oakland (see box this page).

ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF GREECE

A taverna offering Greek wines, a kafenion serving coffee and a wide variety of pastries, and a buffet laden with kebabs, gyros, fried calamari and more will highlight the culinary side of the annual Festival of Greece, running from Friday, May 19, through Sunday, May 21, at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 4700 Lincoln Avenue at Highway 13, Oakland.

The big fund-raiser also offers a variety of foods to take home. Other attractions include Greek music and dancing, cooking demonstrations, and tours of the cathedral. Hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; noon to 9 p.m. Sunday.

Tickets are $5 for adults, $4 for seniors; children under 12 are free. Seniors will be admitted free all day Friday; all others will be admitted free until 5 p.m. Friday. For more information, call the festival hotline, (510) 531- 3710.